Drive
by mrstserc
Summary: Castiel learns to drive. Just a tiny Ficlet in the Before the Fall 'Verse (With MummyMolly Weasley's permission). My first on my own. Mummy helped me with Some Sin for Nothing which you can find under her account. Please read and review.


_(Author's Note: A drabble that takes place during Dean's recovery as he, Sam, and Cas stay in a cabin in the Texas Hill Country. Based in MummyMollyWeasley's Before the Fall Verse – which is an alternate to the Season 7 of canon. So, Bobby's alive; no Leviathan; no time in purgatory. Destiel, because with all that staring, and standing too close, and smiling too much, and such – there must be something. Highly recommend reading Mummy's stuff; she is awesome, and not just because she dragged me kicking and screaming into her ship and nurtured me through "Some Sin for Nothing". See what happens – like feeding a stray – now she can't get me back out of her verse!) _

s/8611109/1/Before-the-Fall

s/8664332/1/Afterwards

s/8669451/1/Incarceration

s/8685399/1/Some-Sin-For-Nothing

* * *

. . .

The road is barely a step up from a dirt track. In the three days the Winchesters and Cas have been staying in the Texas Hill Country cabin while Dean recuperates, not one single car or truck has meandered up it. They are literally miles from their nearest neighbors, this November morning remains clear, and Sam realizes that Dean is just plain not going to do it. He is not going to teach the fallen angel to drive.

"Dean, Cas is human now and he can't just angel-air himself or one of us somewhere. He's our _hunting partner_," Sam tries reasoning with Dean. "…a man in his mid-30's. It's just _too weird_ for him to not be able to drive."

This is not the first time Sam has broached the subject. And Castiel, well, he has already memorized the Texas Driver's Safety Manual that Sam downloaded from the Department of Public Safety website.

"What if we're _hurt_?" Sam is trying to get his brother to look at him, and using his absolute best puppy dog eyes, practically oozing his request at his older brother. He knows that's not really fair, but it has _always_ worked before.

Dean is nodding his head. _Valid points. Yep. Makes sense. _But when Sam tries to get Dean to go outside, get in the car, and teach Cas to drive, well, that's where his older brother starts acting like a cat he just threw water on, stalking away with a look of extreme dislike.

"You taught _me_," Sam tries again; easily keeping pace with his brother because - two things - Dean is five inches shorter and has a cast on his left leg.

"That's different," he mutters, looking for all the world like he is trying to find a hiding place.

"How, Dean? How is that different?"

"I was young and indestructible," Dean says. "Besides, Dad ordered me to. I was _following orders_."

Sam is herding Dean towards the door, where, through the screen, Cas is patiently waiting beside the Impala for his first driving lesson. Dean groans, feints left and goes right, faster than he ought to be able to move. Sam doesn't know whether to laugh or get really mad. "What is the big_ frikkin'_ deal? You wuss," he shouts.

"I can't do it, Sammy." Dean sounds completely serious. "I'll teach Cas how to take care of her, change the oil, check the tires, even fix her if she has a problem, but I just, I can't . . . can't sit there – _sober_- and let him get behind the wheel."

"Well, I'm not going to let you do it while you're _drunk_," and even as Sam is saying the words, he realizes that his brand of stubborn just got trumped by Dean's on this point. At Sam's request, Dean has been cutting back on his drinking, and making a point of announcing that it's after five when he pours his first drink of the day. (Beer doesn't count, as long as the first one isn't 'til lunch.)

Dean is not going to teach Cas to drive, not here, not now, maybe not ever, and certainly not in the Impala.

So Sam will.

Cas looks around Sam to see where Dean is when the younger Winchester comes out with the Chevy's keys hanging from his finger. He frowns as he takes the keys and gets into the driver's seat. Sam shows him how to move the seat to readjust it to his leg length; he shows him how to adjust the rear view and side views, reminding him that every driver should check these things. Sam figures if he comes up with enough helpful minutia, maybe Cas won't ask…

"Where's Dean?" Cas has been shooting glances at the front of the cabin.

"He sent me," Sam answers, looking at his friend to see how Cas feels about it. "Do you want to _try_ to talk to him about it?"

Castiel looks sternly at the younger Winchester, and Sam swears that he didn't remember signing up for a _second older_ brother. "Do you think I should make 'puppy dog eyes' and try to manipulate him? I am sure that if Dean has asked you to teach me then he is doing what he thinks is best."

Sam is surprised and pleased as Castiel turns the car around in the driveway and slowly drives to the road. He signals appropriately, steers without over-steering with his hands placed precisely at 10 and 2, brakes softly, and accelerates gently. Sam offers the fallen angel encouragement, hoping maybe if they keep practicing Castiel will stop looking so stiff.

To help Cas relax, Sam also goes over some of the Winchester rules of the road. Driver picks not only the music, but controls the thermostat, and chooses the stops along the way, including restaurants and motels. Sam says normally shotgun is navigator and should help watch for road signs.

Castiel wonders what the role of the back seat passenger is, and Sam laughs. "Well, first, don't tell the driver how to drive," he says. "That's called back-seat driving and is annoying. Mostly though, when we've had three drivers before, the person in the back seat is either sick, injured, or is supposed to be sleeping so we can change out driving and don't have to stop as often. With three drivers, we can rotate positions and get places faster."

* * *

. . .

Driving lessons continue daily – with Sam giving Castiel lessons and Dean hiding - until the final day of their Hill Country vacation. The three men pack up and hit the road, planning to make their first stop to check in with Bobby. Dean is relegated to the back seat as still on the injured list, but he just puts on his head phones to help ignore Sammy's emo crap music. He falls asleep.

They are still in Texas several hours later when Sam decides he needs a break and pulls over. He tells Castiel that it is his turn to drive. They trade seats and Cas pulls out.

The "music" Cas has chosen is slid into the tape deck. Castiel spent several hours reading over and listening to various types. Even Sam is surprised as the sounds of a summer rain storm fill the Impala. When Sam tries to argue, Cas reminds him of the Winchester rules. Their bickering is loud enough to wake…Dean.

"Issit raining?" Dean suddenly sits up, looks around, grows several shades paler, his freckles standing out in sharp relief and panic written on his face. "No, wait! Pull over... I'll drive," Dean is stuttering as he tries to scramble over the seat. Sam has to push him back over.

"Dean. Please do not be a back-seat driver," Castiel says, turning his head to skewer Dean on a sharp look. "I assure you, I am an excellent driver."

Dean is shouting by then, partly because Sam is laughing so loud that Dean has to shout to be heard.

"Pull over, Rainman!"


End file.
